As a not-for-profit health care system, St. Mary's is committed not only to our patients, but also to the communities we serve. St. Mary's is proud to give back to Athens and Northeast Georgia, which have supported our institution for more than a century. Community Benefit is the process by which St. Mary's measures and reports the impact on our community of health improvement services, health professions education, research, and financial and in-kind contributions. Because we are a Catholic health care system, Community Benefit is a vital part of our mission and values. Community Benefit is also one of the justifications for our not-for-profit tax status.

We invite you to review our annual Community Benefit reports to learn more about our commitment to the Greater Athens community.

Community Health Needs Assessment

Every three years St. Mary's conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in order to most effectively impact our community and to guide our Community Benefit planning. The CHNA is a thorough analysis of the health needs and assets in our community. The CHNA provides a comprehensive overview of the region we serve, including quantitative and qualitative data regarding socioeconomic factors, health indicators, and health status of the community. Not only is the CHNA an important tool for our health care system, but we also hope it serves as a resource for other organizations and citizens in our community. St. Mary's first formal Community Health Needs Assessment was completed in the summer of 2010.

To learn more about St. Mary’s Health Care Community Benefit, contact Mission Services at 706.389.3273.